Rabada reaches new milestone as Proteas take control on the opening day of the first Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka.
South African paceman Kagiso Rabada claimed a record-setting 300th Test wicket as Bangladesh were bowled out for 106 in their opening innings on the first day of the first Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Monday.
Rabada became the fastest to 300 Test wickets, achieving the feat in 11,187 balls, and with a strike rate of 39.39, to break former Pakistan pacer Waqar Younis’ record of 12,602 balls.
South Africa were 140-6 in reply when bad light stopped play, with a 34-run lead after a day of attrition for batsmen as a total of 16 wickets fell.
Kyle Verreynne (18 not out) and Wiaan Mulder (17 not out) will resume on Tuesday.
"We thought it was going to turn, and not really nip, but with the new ball, there was a bit of movement," Rabada told a news conference.
"Not really much swing, but off the wicket, there was quite a bit of seam movement.
"To be fair, that's actually how it played in the nets. Generally, what you get in the nets is what you'll get similarly in the middle. It's turning for the spinners and seaming for the seamers too. We found that quite surprising."
Rabada said he had not been focusing on the 300-wicket milestone, but he knew he was on the cusp of achieving it.
"I was more focused on how we were going to win this test, especially after losing the toss and bowling first. But when it happened, it was just a relief. Everyone plays for milestones, but it was a relief.
"It's a special moment. As for the record, I didn't know about it, but I guess it motivates me to do even better."
Rabada became the sixth South Africa bowler to 300 Test wickets after Dale Steyn (439), Shaun Pollock (421), Makhaya Ntini (390), Allan Donald (330) and Morne Morkel (309).
All-rounder Mulder took the first three wickets early in the opening session to leave Bangladesh, who had won the toss and elected to bat, reeling at 21-3 before Rabada bowled Mushfiqur Rahim to reach the milestone.
His 300th wicket came in his 65th Test. Only five other South African bowlers have taken 300 or more Test wickets, with Dale Steyn’s 439 topping the list.
The 29-year-old Rabada, who has a Test bowling average of 22, then had Litton Das expertly caught in the slips by Tristan Stubbs’ flying effort as Bangladesh slumped further and went to lunch 60-6.
South Africa took 14 overs after lunch to skittle out Bangladesh, whose opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy top scored with 30 before being the seventh wicket to fall.
It was the second lowest total at the venue, after the 87 that Bangladesh scored when they lost by an innings and eight runs to Pakistan in December 2021.
Rabada finished with figures of 3-26, Mulder 3-22 and spinner Keshav Maharaj 3-34 with Dane Piedt taking the other wicket when he bowled Mahmudul at the start of the second session.
Taijul Islam took 5-49 in South Africa’s reply, passing the 200-Test wicket mark as the visitors struggled to settle under the home spin attack.
Tony de Zorzi (30), Ryan Rickelton (27) and Stubbs (23) all threatened to get going but Taijul had them all caught behind off his turning deliveries.
South Africa’s reply started poorly with stand-in captain Aiden Markram playing on to Hasan Mahmud and being dismissed for six at the end of the first over.
The Test in Dhaka is the first of a two-match series with the second in Chittagong next week.
